‘Borderlands 2’ Mechromancer Gameplay Details

Fans of looting in post-apocalyptic wastelands have a lot to look forward this month. While Borderlands 2 will be bringing more enemies, loot and weapon combinations than even the most completionist gamer can hope to attain, all the game has to offer won’t be shipping on the disc.

The ‘cutest’ character class, the Mechromancer, won’t be finished by the time the game’s ship, coming sometime around this November free of charge to those who pre-ordered a copy of Borderlands 2. Video or images are sparse on the Mechromancer at this point, but a few more details have given a bit of an insight into the moment-to-moment gameplay of the additional class.

Before conspiracy theories get off the ground, it’s worth reminding fans that the Mechromancer DLC was created and refined near the end of the game’s development – not specifically as a pre-order bonus. To this point a few scraps of concept art and a rough outline are the only details confirmed by Gearbox, but these are the facts: she’s a young, diminutive girl with one robotic arm, and may be one of the most interesting classes the game features.

Luckily for fans, the new class was discussed and demonstrated at PAX Prime 2012. According to Destructoid, the Mechromancer goes by the much more human but far less clever name of ‘Gaige,’ and a finished character design similar to the concept art featured above.

If you’re wondering how such a less-than-intimidating figure can tackle the biggest and baddest enemies that Gearbox has come up with, it seems that most of her attacks will be coming from her floating robotic partner, Deathtrap. It seems that the more Gaige upgrades her skills and abilities, the deadlier Deathtrap’s attacks become, specifically his ‘Deathclap’ ability, attacking enemies with either electricity or fire.

A character class built around being too vulnerable to do one’s own fighting is an intriguing enough premise on its own, but coming from a development team that thought up the ‘Gunzerker’ class could mean a truly fascinating result. For those who are already convinced that the Mechromancer will be a necessary addition to the base gameplay of Borderlands 2, time is running out to pre-order the game and warrant the free DLC. If you miss that boat, the next best option might be to pick up a Season Pass for all four DLC expansions, assuming you trust Gearbox to deliver worthwhile goods.